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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: pop · straw · ball · capital · hide · ruler · bay · cap

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. capital — money
  3. capital — a city
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. pop — to visit
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. cap — a hat
  12. ball — a great time
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. cap — of ice
  15. pop — soda
  16. ball — a dance
  17. pop — music
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. hide — animal skin

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com